London. Director Julien Duvivier; Producer Alexander Korda; Writer Jean Anouilh, Guy Morgan, Julien Duvivier; Camera Henri Alekan Editor Russell Lloyd; Music Constant Lambert Art Andre Andrejeff
Vivien Leigh
Ralph Richardson
Kieron Moore
Hugh Dempster
Fine as this fourth production of Tolstoy's novel is (Fox 1915, Metro 1927 and 1935), it misses greatness and has tedious stretches.
It would appear that far too much attention was paid to the sets and the artistic structure at the expense of the players. It would have been wise for Korda and Duvivier to realize that the story, for screen purposes, is frankly Victorian melodrama, and that there was always the danger of reducing the characters to puppets.
It speaks volumes for Leigh and Richardson that they are able to disentangle themselves from their overwhelming surroundings and become credibly human. Leigh dominates the picture, as she rightly should with her beauty, charm and skill. It isn't her fault that eyes remain dry and hearts unwrung when she moves to inevitable tragedy, as the neglected wife and discarded lover.
Richardson's portrayal of the priggish, unlikeable husband is masterly yet uneven. Sometimes he gives the impression of a Chinese philosopher with accent and staccato phrase. Incidentally, the multiplicity of pronunciations of 'Karenina' by various people is a trifle distracting.
(B&W) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1948. Running time: 139 MIN.
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